Olympic 'Sparkle': TriStar pic preems at Gotham's Tribeca Grand Hotel

August 16, 2012|Alexa Harrison | Variety

Tuesday's world preem of TriStar's "Sparkle" belonged to Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston. During Houston's last on-screen perf, she sings "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," which caused the aud at Gotham's Tribeca Grand Hotel to burst into applause. Debra Martin Chase recalled the day they filmed "His Eye." "There wasn't a dry eye in the house," said the exec producer. "There are a lot of moments in this movie that have a new meaning in light of not having her with us, but you know what? We decided to keep everything." The mood lightened at the afterparty as Houston's voice permeated the Yard at the Soho Grand Hotel, and the focus shifted to the Olympians in attendance. Pic's Tika Sumpter and Derek Luke, along with gold medalist Cullen Jones, waited for a photo op with four-fifths of the Fierce Five gymnastics team, minus Gabby Douglas. Jones admitted he missed most of the Olympic's closing ceremony because he was dining at Nobu with Ice T and wife Coco. Jones gushed over Sparks. "This is the first time I've actually met her!" he exclaimed. "And she goes, 'Oh my God, your race!' and I'm like, 'What? I'm at your movie premiere. Whoa whoa whoa!' "